1994 Texas - Texas Tech
Horns witness Red Raid
Tech embarrasses UT with 33-9 win
Johnny Ludden
Daily Texan Staff
LUBBOCK -- Heading into the showdown with Texas Tech, Longhorn head
coach John Mackovic said the Red Raiders' defenders worried him so much
that he saw them in his dreams.
Saturday they were in his backfield.
Tech's defense permanently derailed the Longhorns' offense early in the
first quarter and then watched as the Red Raiders offense rolled over Texas
en route to a 33-9 drubbing for the most lopsided Tech win in the history
of the 44-game series.
In a game the Longhorn players said they had to have, Texas did not even
come close.
"We're really not playing like a very good team -- we're really not a
very good team," Texas offensive tackle Blake Brockermeyer said. "We were
talking about this being a championship game for us, then we come in here
and stink up the field.
"It would take a miracle from God for us to even be considered for the
Cotton Bowl."
Miracles aside, Texas, which dropped to 5-3 and, more important, 2-2 in
the Southwest Conference, now must win out against Texas A&M, Houston and
Baylor, and hope for losses by Tech and Rice for a Cotton Bowl berth. Rice
3-4 (2-2) has conference games against SMU, Baylor and Houston left. The
Red Raiders 4-4 (3-2) face Houston and TCU.
"The Cotton Bowl is not one of our objectives now," Texas strong safety
Chris Carter said. "We're not looking that far ahead.
"Embarrassment is not the word. It hurt our feelings, it hurt our pride
to get blown out. We just have to regroup."
As Texas tailback Rodrick Walker pointed out, the Longhorns will not
have trouble finding areas to work on.
"[Tech] just beat us -- everywhere," Walker said.
Walker's observation was on target: The Red Raiders dominated just about
every facet of the game.
While Texas Tech was piling up an insurmountable 21-3 halftime lead
behind the passing of quarterback Zebbie Lethridge and I-back Byron
Hanspard, Texas' offense was left hanging in the 29-mph wind. The
Longhorns' first-half drive chart looked more like the practice schedule of
punter Duane Vacek: punt, punt, punt... . Texas' first six drives netted 24
total yards.
Tech rushed for 163 yards on 46 carries. Texas picked up 63 yards with
most of that coming in the fourth quarter, long after the game had been
decided.
Hanspard ran for 111 yards on 28 carries. Texas' running game stalled
after its first possession and backup quarterback James Brown finished as
the Horns' leading rusher with 28 yards on five carries.
Tech's other I-back Alton Crain scored on a one-yard dive to give the
Red Raiders a 31-3 lead with 11:12 left in the final quarter. Tailback
Priest Holmes was Texas' lone running back representative in the end zone --
he was tackled for a safety with 7:34 remaining in the fourth quarter for a
33-3 Tech advantage.
The Red Raiders blitzed most of the afternoon, finishing with nine
tackles for a loss and shutting down just about every Texas' sweep or
pitch.
"They were just a little more ready to play than we were," Walker said.
"The things they did were no surprise. It's just that none of us were
getting to them."
Texas' passing game did not fare much better. Starter Shea Morenz and
Brown combined to complete 14 of 31 passes for 150 yards while being
harassed by a Tech defense that finished the game with six sacks.
Morenz struggled in the wind during the first quarter and did not
complete a pass until his sixth attempt. Brown, who played all of the
fourth quarter and completed 10 of 20 passes for 100 yards with a TD and an
interception, led Texas on both its scoring drives, a 55-yard field goal by
Mark Schultis on the final play of the first half and a 10-yard TD pass to
wide receiver Eric Jackson with 5:39 left in the game.
Lethridge completed 12 of 24 passes for 153 yards. Lethridge followed up
a 25-yard touchdown pass to Sheldon Bass with a seven-yarder to Stacy
Mitchell to give the Red Raiders a 13-0 lead with 5:28 left in the first
quarter. His 10-yard TD throw to Scott Aylor and two-point conversion run
put Tech up 21-0 with 1:53 remaining in the first quarter.
"Of course that was a tough loss, but losses are tough for everyone,"
Mackovic said. "This gives us the chance to rebuild, like we've done
before, and bounce back again."
Mackovic's tone, however, changed Sunday.
"I'm really angry about losing that game yesterday," he said.
"We didn't give the type of performance I know we have had in the past
and the type we expect to have this week.
"After watching the tapes it dawned on me that we just did not play good
football."
Brockermeyer took it a step further.
"The season's almost pissed away for the whole year," Brockermeyer said.
"I'm not sure what to think."
* Mackovic said he has not yet determined how much playing time Brown
and Morenz will receive this week. "At this point, Shea is still going to
be the starter," Mackovic said.
Texas Tech 33, Texas 9
Texas 0 3 6 0 -- 9
Texas Tech 13 8 3 9 -- 33
Texas Tech
First downs 17 20
Rushes-yards 41-63 46-163
Passing 150 153
Return Yards 16 80
Comp-Att-Int 14-31-1 12-24-1
Punts 9-41 7-42
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 3-0
Penalties-Yards 9-124 9-75
Time of Possession 31:04 28:56
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing -- Texas: Brown 5-28, Walker 13-23, Wilson 13-19, Coleman 1-14,
Holmes 4-8, Vacek 1- (-7), Morenz 4- (-22). Tech: Hanspard 28-111,
Lethridge 6-19, Garnest 3-14, Crain 6-9, Hubbs 2-9, Walker 1-1.
Passing -- Texas: Brown 10-20-100, Morenz 4-11-50. Tech: Lethridge
12-24-153.
Receiving -- Texas: Pinkney 4-36, C. Jackson 3-42, E. Jackson 2-21,
Walker 1-6, Hakes 1-15, Harrison 2-25, Bradley 1-5. Tech: Darden 2-56, Bass
2-32, Hobbs 2-20, Fiebiger 1-12, Aylor 1-10, McKenzie 1-8, Mitchell 1-7,
Lavender 1-6, Hanspard 1-2.